Naive bloggers often turn to Google to get images for their websites. It isn't until they get a threatening email that they realize this constitutes a copyright infringement. Here are several sites where you can legally download high-quality images for free.
Written by Ben Huber Last Updated:
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When it comes to making your blog or business website look professional, quality photos are a must. While you might have heard the advice to “take your own photos,” many of us don’t have the right equipment, knowledge, or skills needed to capture the image we desire. That’s where websites offering free stock photos come into play.
The term “free, high-quality stock photos” used to be an oxymoron because either you paid for stock photos, or you sacrificed quality in order to spare your wallet.
Fortunately, that’s no longer the case.
Below is a list of legitimate sites for you to get free, high-quality stock photos that are beautiful, high-resolution, and guaranteed to portray your message or brand, perfectly.
The first part of the list is a roundup of websites that provide hundreds of free stock photos with no sign-up or email required. These websites have a huge variety of styled stock photos, landscape stock photos, and everything in between.
The second part of the list is a roundup are free stock photo sites that require a subscription or email sign-up to receive beautiful, styled stock photos delivered straight to your inbox. They’re still free, they just require a little extra work to get started.
Note: Nearly all of the photos listed on these sites fall under thecreative commons public domaindedication (or have no licensing restrictions all together). This means you can copy, modify, distribute and perform the work, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. That said, some photos may still require attribution, so be sure to double-check and ensure you’re using the photographs correctly.
Free Stock Photo Sites That Don’t Require a Subscription
1. Pixabay
What’s great about Pixabay is there’s no limit to how many photos you can download. Even better, the sky is the limit when it comes to categories of photos you can find. From styled flat lays to candids and everything in between, you’ll likely find what you’re looking for at Pixabay.
2. Unsplash
Unsplash is one of my personal favorite websites to find free stock photos. Similar to Pixabay, you can find high-resolution photos in practically any category and the downloads are limitless.
3. Pexels
I love Pexels for finding high-quality stock photos. The colors are beautiful, the photo categories are diverse, and once again the downloads are limitless.
4. Foodiesfeed
If you have a food blog or promote healthy eating on Instagram, Foodiesfeed is perfect for you. Food photography can be extremely difficult to nail, but Foodiesfeed takes care of that for you. Find beautifully photographed food photos on Foodiesfeed for free.
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5. Styled Stock
Styled Stock is the perfect website for lifestyle, beauty, boss babe, or fashion bloggers who want feminine and fun, styled stock photos for free. The best part about Styled Stock is you don’t have to sign up to download any of the beautifully-styled photos.
6. Negative Space
Negative Space boasts a large variety of stock photos that will compliment any brand design or blog post. There are feminine flat lays, travel blog worthy photos, and even masculine business shots. Negative Space will meet nearly any blogger or business owner’s photography needs.
7. Barn Images
While Barn Images doesn’t have as large a number of stock photos as some of the above websites, the quality of photos is incomparable. If you love outdoor photography, Barn Images has what you’re looking for.
8. Kaboom Pics
Kaboom Pics has stock photos that are Instagram-worthy all the way. Whether you fancy-styled feminine photos or lean towards hipster fashion, Kaboom Pics has what you’re looking for to help you brand your blog or business.
9. Stock Snap
Stock Snap offers a wide variety of stock photos to match the theme of your business or blog post. Some photos are bright and colorful, others are dark and edgy. The options are endless.
10. Life of Pix
The variety of high-quality stock photos on Life of Pix is vast. One photo depicts a beautifully photographed bundt cake and the next is a stunning picture of a starry night. You never know what you might find on Life of Pix, but there’s a good chance you’ll find the perfect photo for your blog or business.
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11. Magdeleine
Magdeleine produces a new free high-quality photo every day. You’ll never know what you’ll get, but it’s sure to be high-quality, beautiful, and free.
12. picXclicX
Jill Levenhagen from picXclicX has a creative variety of free stock photos available for download. Check out her page to find the photos you’re looking for that will complete your blog posts or business website.
13. Picography
You’ll find gorgeous free photos to use at Picography. They aren’t your usual styled stock photos but favor more towards unique scenes and outdoor landscapes.
14. Cupcake
While the name may sound feminine, Cupcake offers more masculine and gender-neutral-looking photos that may be a better compliment to your blog or website that’s geared toward both genders. While many free-styled stock photos are designed to look feminine, it’s nice to find a stock photo website that provides photos that any blog could use no matter who the audience is.
15. Burst
Burst is fantastic because all of their free stock photos are organized into categories so you can easily find what you’re looking for. A few of the popular categories included are business, family, colorful, makeup, flatlay, textures, jewelry, love, city, office, and abstract.
16. Death To Stock
Death To Stock‘s mission is to continually provide its consumers with quality stock photos that meet all of their expectations, completely free of charge. Fresh photo content provided for you at no cost? Yes, please.
17. Helene In Between
Helene from Helene In Between offers 15 beautiful feminine-styled stock photos from her blog. All you have to do in return is give them a share so more people can use and enjoy her beautiful photos.
18. Solopreneur Sidekick
Louise of Solopreneur Sidekick nails it with her 10 free stock photos that are perfect for any boss babe. If you’re a fan of coffee and all things pretty, these photos will be perfect for your business or blog.
Free Stock Photo Sites That Require an Email Subscription
19. She Bold
She Bold couldn’t be a better name for these bright photos that pop with feminine color. Download 20+ free stock photos when you sign up with your email.
20. Haute Stock
Are you interested in a free sample pack of beautifully-styled stock photos? Haute Stock‘s got your back.
21. A Prettier Web
A Prettier Web will give you 7 free styled stock photos in exchange for your email. These photos are gorgeous.
22. Market Beautifully
Market Beautifully takes the cake in my book for hooking their readers up! All you have to do is sign up with your email to receive 100+ free stock photos.
23. Ivory Mix
Okay, remember how excited we were about those 90+ free stock photos? How about 550+ free-styled stock photos? Simply sign up with your email on Ivory Mix and they’re yours.
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